New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-02
BLOWN UP BY GASOLINE.
ELEVEN PERSONS BURIED IN THE RUINS.
EIGHT ARE TAKEN OUT DEAD AND TWO MORE WILL
PROBABLY DIE-A TERRIBLE EXPLOSION THAT
STARTLED ST. LOUIS YESTERDAY MORNING
HOUSES COMPLETELY DEMOLISHED

HOUSES COMPLETELY DEMOLISHED
TOUCHING DEVOTION or TWO SISTERS
ST LOUIS, Nov. IA flash, followed by a dull
roar and then the crash OF walls alarmed tho
centre OF the city at 2:OS o'clock this morning.
An explosion Of gasoline in the rear of the cellar
OF Michael Newman's grocery store, No. l3 South
Fourteenth-st. had lifted the two-story building
from its foundation, and dropped it back again
in mass, beneath which were buried eleven
persons They were;
NEWMAN. MICHAEL, age ffy-tvo, the proprietor OF tho
NEWMAN. Mrs ANNIE forty
NNEwMAS' N' JoHS age sixteen
NEWMAN. EDDIE. age thirteen.
DEvEERE. CHARLES ~. travelling salesman.
DEvEERH, Mrs CHi iRLEsN
BEAsLEY. Mrs. AGNES.
NEWMAN. MAMIE. age eighteen, horribly manglcd and
burned beyond all hone OF recovery.
NEWMAN. NELLIE. age fifteen NAV p0s sibv recover
BRYANT. HATTIE, OF Columbus. Ky. bruised about the
The explosion had scarcely wrecked the place
before fire swept through the ruins The peOplc
of the ncIghborhood ran about the streets seeking
friends, demanding explanations or meaning from
bruises. The heat of the flames banlei the llremen
for few minutes. but good work won, and then
began the search for the dead
lhe store was on the corner of the alley running
from Fourteenth TO 1argee-st and was the
north -oom Of the building covering Nos Z . and
| ii South Fonrtecntlst. The building a two
story brick structure, completed but a short
time ago. and only store was occupied Mr.
Newman and his family Of seven lived over the
store.
The force or the plOsion terrific; the entiro
| block OF buildings north of and across the alley
was gutted by the blast. The Newman block was
covered by the roof, which had settled down upon
the ruins and formed barrier through which
the rescuers had to cut way. The roof was soon
removed and in the debris we're revealed tho
grocerymans family. Two women Newman's daugfl
tcrs, were first removed Mamie age eighteen,
was st.l alive, but beyond the hope of recovery.
lier sister Nellie age fifteen. moaned pieously for
her sister, and seemed forget her own desperate
injuries She may possibly survive
The rest of the Newman family were dead.
Some sat upright and others were doubled in their
beds.
NARROW ESCAPE FROM HORRIBLE DEATH
In the same building over the store No. lived
Charles Deveere travelling salesman and his
wife Visiting them Hattie Bryant, OF
Columbus. KY. She badly injured but mi-
raculously escared death. She awole find herself
buried beneath heavy timbers somewhere against
wall She is unable TO tell where she was
thrown; but when her eyes opened She beheld
dream. On one side a wall of fire reached to the
sky, while the crashing timbers and the clatter
Of iron caused storm of dangerous missiles to
fly about her head. The creams of those in tho
adjoining buildings rang in her ears. She was
firmly pinned by beam across her thigh, and
an iron rod over ankle. She twisted ami
struggled in vain The fire blown toward her
until her hair scorched and the Odor Of
burning flesh penetrated her lungs and almost
sunocttcd her. Just as she sank back in despair
the ruins settled down, and thc ovcrlanging tim
bcrs were raised from her limbs With an extra
ordinary effort She sirang TO her feet and stag
gcring, falling and rolling, made her way out OF
the ruins.
Over the store No. II lived Charles Einnrt AMI
Mrs Aenes Ecasey. The last named was buried
80 deeply in the debris thar the search for her
was given up until the others were removed.
Charles Eifcrt not Injured
Besides those injured in the buildinr wrrc
many persons in the ncighborhood more or less
cut and bruised for the J ing linterS ami bricks
did not alone destroy the Newman store
There are many theories to explain the cause
OF the explosion but none is satisfactory. The
mob which press cNctclly around the scene cy-
citedy talk or Anarchist, and their dynamite;
but men of sense diScountcnancc this idlc prattle
The general belief is that chcaning gas filled
the cellar, and that Mr.. Newman kept a quantity
Of kerosene oil and gasoline in the cellar near
where the explosion evidently took place. Tho
rdl i'll fire aud the fumes while il burned indicate
this The vessels and the oil. if there was any,
have hcn DESTROYED and the only man that
knows is dead. The escaping gas theory is sup
ported, however by the store boy joe Bcn-
venue, who says that he wIs ANNOYED during the
afternoon yesterday by strong smell of gas,
and before shutting up the Store for the night 40
go O'Clock he went through the building,
looking Tor the orcn burner. He did not visit the
cellar
Nellie Newman is able to talk. Ia hro.en sen-
fences she sad: We had been asleep Mamie and
|. IN the front room. limbrrs fell upon me and
he d me so could not get out of the bed The plaster
fcil on NV face got INTO nv eyes and nv mouth.
| In" hfelnrn were long time coming ard the kre
rot into the runs about Ms. Mamlc was burning I
know AID the fire was getting very hot abOut nie.
| cOuI teel the ire getting nearer and nearer 1
thought was gOug Ia dIr.'
Charles Ehert. who occupied a room in the sano
: huidinc. was up late playing solitaire lie SAID:
Il heard loud report and tho table sind away
from before me. second or tw) elapsed when /
heard another reoorf. such as II two b0mbs
lowed with only Il few moments Intermission.
/ jumped TO feet and found the floor sinking
away under me. reached ont and selZ"d The Jam
of he door and managed 10 retain NV clutch it.
saw that the way down stairs az the south side Ot
the hOuse was clear. and started ont, when
! heard n crv for help. I knew il was Mrs Reilo
/ Wilson who in ia. front room. | went back
! and after much difficulty got her from the ru0m
J and carried her down stairs"
| THREE MEN KILLED BY A BOILER EXPLOSION
| NEEDLES. Cal. Nov l-An engine exploded Nsck
Berry last night. killing Engineer Schroeder, Fireman
Long and Brakeman Trapp Tue bodies were fousd 300
feet from the track